Without knowing it, without ever intentionally setting things this way in my mind, I seem to have added a new baking routine at home:
To make a weekly cookie recipe.
It started innocently enough this past summer with peach cookies that tasted like little cobblers, and then aromatic lavender cookies. But then things started happening so fast: chocolate chip, rosemary shortbread, and crunchy, nutty biscotti.
I can’t stop.
I’m sure there’s some sort of hidden meaning behind this, some call to my past – maybe it’s a sign that I miss my grandma, who taught me to make cookies. Or that I miss my childhood, which is when we baked together. Maybe it’s both.
But in all honesty, I think it’s simpler than that: cookies just taste really, really good.
No offense, grandma.
Cookies demonstrate the best of kitchen magic. The alchemy of ingredients is something that will always amaze me: put together a bunch of unrelated things, and come out with something all its own, a new creation.
I mean, have you tasted flour? Anyone up for a nice tablespoon of unsalted butter for breakfast? How about a raw egg in a glass?
But put all these things together, with a few alterations of flavor each time, and you have these can’t-eat-just-one treats that everyone loves.
This week, it’s a ginger cookie. A big, soft, and chewy ginger cookie.
You won’t have to buy or make your own candied ginger, which was my intention when making this easy recipe. And I promise it’s fast – the whole process takes less than an hour.
They are also so pretty! The crystallized granulated sugar that covers them just before baking provides a pretty shimmer on top of the beautiful crackled surface of each one.
And if you’re one of those people who never liked gingersnaps (too crunchy, maybe?), these are the solution: all of the flavor, with none of the hardness.
Big. Soft. Sweet. Perfect.
And if you’re still not interested, don’t worry. I’m sure there will be another cookie recipe to come, and another after that, and another one soon to follow.
See? I’m unstoppable. Enjoy my latest obsession, with the recipe below.
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Big Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 dozen cookies 1x
Description
Not a huge fan of crunchy gingersnaps? If you prefer something on the softer side, make a batch of our soft and chewy ginger cookies.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, either in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the butter on low speed for 30 seconds.
- Gradually add 1 cup sugar to the butter, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and molasses, and beat well on medium speed to create a smooth mixture.
- Add the dry mixture to the egg mixture. Beat at low speed until a thick, soft dough forms. Do not overmix. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Place the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl. Shape the dough into large balls 2 inches in diameter. Roll each ball of dough in the sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each ball.
- Bake for about 10 minutes. The cookies will be puffy and will still be very soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and let stand on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Baked Goods
Keywords: cookie, ginger
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Mix Dry Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside as you are preparing the dough.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.
Having trouble keeping your spices organized, especially with the arrival of holiday baking season? Consider buying a spice rack to keep them all in order!
Step 2 – Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, either in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer (either will work!), beat the softened unsalted butter on low speed for 30 seconds. This will help to further soften and aerate the butter, making it easier to mix in the sugar.
Gradually add the sugar to the butter, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and molasses and beat well at medium speed to create a smooth, thick mixture. It should look homogeneous.
Step 3 – Add Dry Mixture to Wet Mixture
Add the dry mixture into the egg mixture. Beat at low speed until a thick, soft dough forms. It will look dark from the molasses.
Do not overmix! Overmixing will cause the final product to be tough and a little too chewy.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes, to re-chill the butter and slightly stiffen the dough to help with shaping in the next step.
Step 4 – Shape Dough
Shape the dough into large, 2-inch balls. Using a cookie scooper with a 2-inch diameter will be very helpful in forming each one equally and evenly.
Step 5 – Coat in Sugar
Place the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a clean bowl.
After forming each ball, roll each one in the sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about two inches between each ball to accommodate any spreading.
Step 6 – Bake
Immediately bake for about 10 minutes. The cookies will be puffy and will still be very soft to the touch. They may look raw, but they will definitely continue to cook and set as they cool on the pan. Mark my words!
Remove from the oven, and leave on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve and enjoy!
A Necessary Balance for Your Holiday Baking
Crunchiness is a typical texture of holiday baked goods that we all know and love.
We can’t get enough of crispy, buttery sugar cookies, gingerbread men decorated with hardened royal icing, and all those stick-to-your-teeth candy canes.
Too much for you? Balance out the crunch with this soft and chewy treat this year.
You’ll adore the ease of sinking your teeth into one of these super soft and chewy ginger cookies, mixed with the delectable warming spices you crave throughout the fall and winter holiday season.
If you need more gingery ideas for your baking, try any of our favorites below:
Want another soft and chewy ginger cookie, but looking for something a bit healthier? Try our recipe for cookies made with buckwheat flour.
What do you prefer? Thin and crispy, or these soft and chewy options? Let’s see which one reigns supreme in the comment section below.
Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on September 24, 2008. Last updated: December 13, 2022 at 13:14 pm. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Shanna Mallon
Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.
I just told my brother Monday night that I was craving ginger cookies. How weird is that? I saw poptarts in the grocery store that were gingerbread flavored, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I totally laughed out loud when I pulled up your site today, which made the poor fifth graders in my class look over at me and ask me if I was on messenger. 🙂 I totally never talk on messenger when I’m supposed to be teaching so I don’t know where they got that from.
ginger cookies? big and soft? i am so in! i’m still eating the sugar cookies i baked last week but these will have to be join my to be made list. like you, i seem to bake up a batch every week!
Joanna: LOL! I love your comment, both because the image of a classroom of elementary kids giggling at their teacher and because of the whole ginger thing. You have to make the cookies!
Lan: I’m glad to have a fellow cookie fanatic. 🙂
I love ginger cookies! I’m really excited about fall flavors now (despite my last blueberry cake post) and want to try these out. And big and soft are the magic words when it comes to cookies. I admire that you’ve been able to stick to your rules. I’ve been somewhat less successful but I will try and discipline myself. I know it’s important to be regular in blogging. I’m glad I stumbled onto here! I will be back! 🙂
This looks like a delicious ginger cookie! And, I’ve developed a thing for molasses lately, so I’m wishing I had some of these in front of me right now.
Alejandra: Oh, I know! Fall flavors are the best. I’ve been craving a pumpkin soup for a few days now, and I’m hoping to find some inspiration at an orchard in the next few weeks. Thanks for visiting!
lisa: You should make these! They’re so fast and easy. Really.
Hooray big soft ginger cookies! Soft cookies: the best kind.
I made the cookies and gave them to some friends/neighbors. I was good and only ate one to “test” them. No lie, one of my friends actually said “Wow, these taste like fall!” I assume that was a compliment since he said it in a positive voice. 🙂 He actually knows what fall is like being originally from New England instead of stupid Texas.
Camille: molasses and brown sugar are very similar when baking, so I’d imagine yours are just like these! Yum, right?
Joanna: That is AWESOME. Success!
So timely Shannalee,
my niece just asked me for a gingersnap cookie recipe.
I will make your recipe and then pass it on to her.
Excellent, Celeste! These are much softer than gingersnaps, but I love them so much! Hope you guys do, too!
Made for my wife who enjoys ginger molasses cookies, more so when October comes around. She thinks these are great. Now I’m trying to convince her to try a batch with reduced sugar and butter 🙂 She has been clear not to mess with this recipe!! It’s really good.
★★★★★
I usually modify recipes to make them healthier. NOT THESE. They are worth the sugar and butter!! After 9 minutes, they were perfect. I actually made them for my spouse but she now has to share when I make a batch. Merci beaucoup!!
★★★★★
I made a batch last year and am back for the recipe again!
★★★★★
Yes! We’re so excited that you have a new fall tradition! We love these cookies, and can’t wait to make them again, too.
These cookies are like manna from heaven. Thank you for this recipe! We loved them. Better than the bakery!
★★★★★